Zoran Zaev met with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, who is currently on a two-day official visit to Macedonia.
Zaev said that this meeting coincides with an extremely positive moment in time, where long-lasting solutions for bilateral issues in the region are expected in the perspective of the European Union’s expectations.
“The focus of our talks must be the future between the two countries. We need to be decisive, and take steps that will lead us closer to a solution of the only open issue between our two nations. I am convinced that this approach will lead to a solution that will give plenty of acceptable views to the institutions in both countries, as well as the opposition, who will accept it as a dignified solution, both for the Republic of Macedonia and for the Republic of Greece”, said Prime Minister Zaev.
He stressed that during the process, both countries practice and nurture common European values, which is a shared way of building better bilateral relationships and relations of trust.
“We want to carry on improving bilateral relations, to nurture them and to make them even better after the name issue is resolved, because the citizens in our countries, our friends in the EU and the international community expect a solution to this issue,” Zaev said.
The Government’s office said that Kotzias emphasized that the present and the future require responsibility for solving the open issue.
“Minister Kotzias stressed that Greece, as a member of both NATO and the EU, and with the oldest democratic tradition in the region, has a great responsibility to resolve this issue, and that a compromise acceptable to both sides, must be found,” read the statement.
